Pannenkoek (Dutch Pancake)
The Dutch pancake, Pannenkoek, is a thin pancake that can be served sweet or savory. There are so many ways to enjoy this easy treat for breakfast or a fun snack!
Dutch Pannenkoeken
A pannenkoek (plural pannenkoeken and pannekoek in Old Dutch) is a pancake that comes from the Netherlands. They are typically large, whole-pan size and are much thinner than a traditional American pancake (but not quite as thin as a French crepe).
(And definitely don't confuse these guys with the Dutch Baby, which isn't even Dutch.)
Pannenkoeken are made from a simple batter of eggs, milk, flour, and a bit of salt. (Traditionally you would often find them using buckwheat flour, however not so much any more.)
Topping and Fillings For Dutch Pancakes
They can be eaten plain with a dark, thick apple syrup, called stroop and powdered sugar.
But, you will often find them filled as well. The fillings can be sweet or savory. Thinnly sliced bacon, apples, cheese, or raisins are most common. But feel free to get a little crazy.
We loved the combo of mushrooms and bacon, Gouda and apples, apples and raisins, bacon and cheddar.
You get the picture.
While with French crepes, the fillings are wrapped into the pancake, with pannekoeken, the fillings are typically added to the batter during cooking.
How To Eat Pannenkoeken
With a pancake so large, the question might come up, how should you dive in?
Traditionally these Dutch pancakes, filled or not, are rolled and then eaten. Slice them and use a fork and knife if you're feeling civilized, or just grab a bite if you're eating them on the go!
South African Pannekoek
With the Dutch colonization of South Africa, pannekoek are often seen as "South African pancakes" as well. In South Africa, the singular "pannekoek" is most often used, even if you're talking about a stack of pannekoek.
The one difference we find in South Africa is that they are most commonly served sprinkled with cinnamon sugar and rolled.
We tried a couple of our pannekoek this way, and the cinnamon sugar melts into the warm pannekoek, creating a delicious, warm and sweet treat.
Plain. Sweet. Savory. Which will you try first??
More pancakes from around the world
Nearly every culture loves pancakes in one form or another. Here are some other sweet and savory pancake recipes from around the world that are worth a try.
Pannenkoek (Dutch Pancake)
The Dutch pancake, Pannenkoek, is a thin pancake that can be served sweet or savory. There are so many ways to enjoy this easy treat for breakfast or a fun snack!
Ingredients
For The Batter
- 2 eggs
- 2 c milk
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 c unbleached all-purpose flour
- Butter, for cooking
Optional Add Ins
- Chopped bacon, (thinly sliced)
- Mushrooms, (thinly sliced)
- Shredded cheese
- Apples, (thinly sliced)
- Raisins
- Cinnamon sugar
Instructions
- In a large bowl, beat the egg until slightly foamy. Add the milk and salt, whisking to combine. Add the flour, slowly, whisking as you add, until the batter is smooth.
- Heat a 10 inch skillet over medium heat. Add a little butter to coat the skillet.
- Add ½ cup of batter to the pan and swirl it around to coat the pan. (If using add-ins, sprinkle them over top of the wet batter.) Cook the pannekoek over medium heat until it is just getting dry on the top and releases from the pan, 2-3 minutes.
- Flip the pannenkoek and cook for 1-2 minute on the second side, until lightly golden.
- Remove the pannenkoek from the plan and place on a platter. Keep your stack of pannekoeken warm in a warm oven while you coat the skillet again with butter and cook up the rest of the batter.
Notes
Leftover pannenkoeken keep well in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
2 pannenkoekenAmount Per Serving: Calories: 414
Sarah founded Curious in 2010 as a way to save her recipe creations and share culinary experiences. Her love for cultural cuisines was instilled early by her French Canadian Grandmother. Her experience in the kitchen and in recipe development comes from over 10 years working in professional kitchens. She has traveled extensively and enjoys bringing the flavors of her travels back to create easy-to-make recipes.
Well, by chance stumbled on this site. Being a proud Dutchman I am more than happy to share my grandmother’s recipe for real old fashioned Dutch pancakes:
250 grams of flour
2 table spoons of vanilla sugar
2 sniffs of salt
3 eggs
500 ml of milk (full milk)
3 table spoons of melted butter
All should be mixed up to until a uniform mixture is formed.
Per above recipe allows you to bake 10 Pancakes when using a pan with 30cm diameter. Remember to use a real hot pan to bake your pancakes (approx 2 min first side; then turn for another 1 minute for the flip side)
Pancakes Diameter of the pan:
Thank you for sharing Edwin!
It´s panneNkoek
pannekoek is old Dutch spelling
Thanks for the clarification Denise.
Tasted just like my pancakes in Amsterdam. Don't be afraid to veganize this a bit. I used Bob's Red Mill egg replacer and it came out perfectly.
Thanks for sharing your substitutions. We’re so glad you enjoyed the pancakes!
I’m guessing that you have to pre cook the bacon. Do you have to pre cook the apples?
Hi Marnie. Yes, the bacon should be pre-cooked. While you don't have to cook the apples if you slice them paper-thin, we prefer them lightly sauteed to soften them slightly. Enjoy!
I popped on this recipe to try a different Dutch pancake recipe, just for a little change. My husband enjoyed it, but I wasn't a fan. The one I've used in the past has a bit of baking soda in it which makes them a little more tender rather than like stiff cooked flour. Maybe my eggs weren't slightly foamy enough? Maybe the flour was overworked from whisking the flour in? Either way, I think I'll go back to my other recipe.
Hi Marixi. When we've made these they are pretty tender from the eggs and milk. It is possible that you didn't beat your eggs enough or overworked the batter. Thanks for sharing your experience.
First time making these since having them in Amsterdam. Recipe is 10/10. We did bacon + apples + cheddar.
So glad you enjoyed the pannekoek! Glad they reminded you of your travels!
We used to eat these at The Dutch Pannekoek Restaurant in Vancouver BC Canada in the West End of the Th. That was in the late 1970ties and its still there. Have wanted to make them but never had a good recipe. Ours came on a big platter, for one, topped with bacon and white cheddar cheese. OMG it was fabulous. They say that they used to use wheat flour but not so much now then the recipe says wheat flour, can I use regular all purpose flour? Thanks.
Hi Jennifer. What fun memories! We hope these are as good as you remember! Yes, we use all-purpose flour in our recipe. Enjoy!
Maybe consider adding an instruction to the instructions about adding the add-ins? Before the first flip? Second flip? You call it out as significant in the narrative and then ignore it in the recipe.
Hi Joe. You will find that instruction in step 3, in the parentheses. You add the add-ins after pouring the batter into the skillet. Enjoy!
These were great! Added 1tbsp vanilla and 2tbsp melted bettering the batter. Added Sliced banana and cinnamon while cooking! Drizzle some maple syrup and it was amazing!
Thanks Marc! We're glad you enjoyed them!
It may be easier to get the lumps out of you start with the flour, add the salt and egg and any other flavors you like. Then beat and keep adding milk / water until the desired consistency (running off a spoon) is reached. Adding about 4 oz. of melted butter to the batter makes for easier frying.
Great ideas Edwin! Thanks for sharing.
I made these today while we watched the US-Holland soccer match. They were lovely--not quite like we had in Holland (I probably needed to put more cheese in) but lovely nonetheless, I sauteed mushrooms with some garlic (certainly not a Dutch thing to do:)!) and used Emmental and Beemster Dutch cheese. Yummy!!
So glad you enjoyed them! Mushrooms sound like a very tasty addition!
I think next time I will use only one egg. These were very eggy.
Hi Regan. These are pretty eggy little crepes. But, by all means, do what suites your tastes! Thanks for giving them a try!
Sound delish to me I will try them. I’ve eaten them in Aruba and loved them.
Enjoy!
this was the second time i tried to make them. just not like i remember them as when i was a kid but close . ( my OMA made for me ) i might add a little more mike might do it .
Ritchie
Hi Ritchie, Can you elaborate on what the ones you remember were like and how they were different from these?
You forgot 2 ingredients. 1tsp vanilla extract. And 1.5 tbls of melted butter. The butter especially makes a huge difference in the flavour. No offence just an observation. I used your recipe but added these 2 ingredients. Turned out amazing
These do sound like great additions. We'll have to give them a try!